Prepayment meter for radio apparatus



April 22, 1930. G. J. zlscH PREPAYMENT METER FOR RNJIO APPARATUS Filed Jan. 18, '1929 I INVENTOR AT'r ORNEY last has been utilized.

which Patented Apr. 22, 1930 I v UNITED s'rArEs PATENT" OFFICE A GEORGE J. 21803, 01' NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, ASBIGNOB TO PETEB A, HERA AND i ROBERT A. EBERT, BOTH OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY rimranmirr imrnn. FOB mnro arrm'rus Application filed January 18, 1929. Serial No. 888,857.

This invention relates to pre 'ayment 'Also rigidly secured to or formed with in meters and more particularly to sue as are ofiset elbow 28 of the lever 25, is a lever .29, applicable to control an electric current of having in its outer-end a pin 30 to which t e nature used in radio apparatus. is attached a tension spring 31, tending to 5 One object of the present invention is to draw the lever into a horizontal position and provide a device which, upon the insertion also to take up any slack that may occur in of a coin or metal token will complete an the gear train and levers. electric circuit thereby furnishing current An upright plate 32 extends from the latto an electrically actuated apparatus for a form 11, parallel and adjacent the si e of 10 predetermined period .of time. the casing opposite the motor, and set in the 60 A further feature is in the rovision of upper portion of this plate is'an insulated means for utilizing a portion 0 the current stud 33 carrying an adjustable contact screw to operate a motor geared to a train having 34 against which the end of the sprin arm a circuit breaker operable at definite interor contact element 27 rests when the evice 15 vals whereby the current is broken both to the is in operation.

ap aratus and motor. Secured to the inner side of the'plate-32 is a nother purpose is to produce a device downwardly inclined coin chute 35 having which will operate cont nuousl without an entrance at 36 through the side of the, casbreak if several coins be entere untilthe in% and an insulated extension 37 at its inner on to guide a coin C so that when the coin These and other novel and practical puris eventually released it will pass through poses are attained by the construction and an opening 38in the platform 11 to a coin arrangement of parts hereinafter described receiving receptacle therebelow; and shown in the accompanying drawing, in Intercepting the path of an entered coin,

' above the extension 37 is one horn 39 of a Figure 1 is a plan View of an embodiment crescent shaped escapement contact 40, the ofthe device showing its main operative other horn 41 of which is so positioned as to parts. revent successive coins that may be placed Figure 2 is a sectional view of line 2-2 of m the chute from entering upon the extension Fi ure 1. 37 until after the coin thereon has performed 80 igure 3 is a diagrammatical view of the its full function and been released. electrical connections and wiring. The contact element 40 is fixed on the inner As shown, the device rests in a rectangular end of the lever 29 and obviously moves in a casing, enerally designated by the numeral gyrator pathwith it.

at 10 in. w ich is a raised latform 11 having An e ectric current, from any convenient mounted on it a small e ectric motor 12, its source, enters the casing by the -cable 42 shaft 13- carrying a worm 14. passing upward through the platform where The worm 14 is meshed with a worm gear 1t is branched, one of the branches'43 being 15 fixed on a spindle 16 rotatable in a bracket held by a binding screw 44 and the other 40 17 bolted to the platform 11, and on. the ,branch 45 by the binding screw 46.

spindle is a worm 18 meshed with a worm The branch 43 is connected to the lever carwheel 19 fixed on a spindle 20, parallel. with ried pin 30 and the branch 45 is engaged with the motor shaft, and rotatable in a bracket a plug socket 47 from which current may 21 bolted to the platform. be taken for actuating a radio instrument.

45 A stud 22, set in the side of the wheel 19, A return conductor 48 from the lug socket offset from its axis in the manner of a crank, extends to the insulated screw 34, rom which has pivoted on it an arm 23 to which is another conductor 49, leads to the insulated pivoted, at 24, a bent lever 25 having at its coin seat extension 37. opposite end a stud 26 in which is fixed a thin A shunt conductor 50 leads from the hind- 50 spring contact arm 27. ing screw 46 to the motor 12 and thence. by

a conductor 51 to at 52.

If one or more coins be entered through the opening 36 to pass down the chute 35, the lowermost coin will make electrical contact with the horn 39, part of the escapement contact 40, through arm 29 to conductor 43 of the cable 42.

The coin rests upon the extension37 thu join the conductor 48 as It is to be understood that the spring arm- 27 is initially out of contact with the screw 34, but very soon after the motor has started and the gear 19 made approximately one tenth of a revolution, the arm 27 will engage the screw 34 and, as the arm 27 is in .circuit with the conductor 4:3, by reason of its electrical connections with the stud 26 in the lever 25, thus conducting current through the socket 47 and motor 12 as before explained.

Meanwhile the horn 39 has moved to permit the coin to escape down the passage 38 and the horn 4:1 intercepts the next succeeding coin until substantially a full revolution of the wheel 19 has taken place, whereupon the next coin is admitted to rest upon the extension seat 37 and the cycle is renewed.

However, if there be no succeeding coin, revolution of the wheel 19 ceases at a point where the spring contact arm is slightly raised from the screw 34, thus interrupting the socket and motor circuit, causing cessation of further operations until another coin has been deposited.

As changes of construction could be made within the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the foregoing description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to secure by Letters Patent, is l 1. prepayment meter for electric dispense ing devices comprising an electric motor," -a reduction gear train driven by the moto'uan escapement lever and a spring contact lever carried eccentrically by the last gear of the train, means operative upon the entrance of a coin to form an initial circuit through said escapement lever to start the motor and deliver cur-. rent, and a terminal engaged by said spring contact lever to continue the electric circuit after the release of the coin until said last gear has made tine full and. complete revolution at which time the spring contact lever will be removed from engagement with said terminal breaking the circuit.

2. In an electric current dispensing device, an electricmotor, a reduction eartrain including a crank wheel driven y the motor, two spaced contacts in the device each being connected with the same current, a springarm actuated by the crank of said wheel to make and break the circuit to one of said contacts, an escapement also actuated by said crank, a starting element entrable the device to form a circuit between said escapement and the other of said contacts to initiate said motor, said escapement releasing the starting element when the spring arm has made electrical engagement with the first named contact, and means for delivering current outwardly the device during one full rotation of said crank wheel by the motor.

3. In an apparatus for vending a time limited electric current, a casing, an electric motor therein, an outletsocket in the casing, a meter gear driven by the motor, and a meter having means for making and breaking current connections to said motor and outlet socket upon the insertion of a circuit forming coin and a crank actuated spring drawn escapement to receive and convey the coin outwardly.

a. In an apparatus for vending a time limited electric current, a casing, an electric motor therein, an outlet socket in the casing, and a meter driven by the motor, said meter having a crank, insulated contacts in said casing connected to the motor and outlet, a spring arm carried by said crank to clear one of the contacts when the motor is at rest and to form a circuit therewith when the motor has began operation, a rigid arm carried by the crank adjacent the other contact, means for guiding a coin to rest on the second contact in electrical engagement with said rigid arm to initially close the electric circuit to said motor and outlet, and means on said rigid arm to intercept successive coins until a preceding coin has been released from the last named contact.

5. In an electric current dispensing device, an electric motor having a' main control switch, a rotary meter geared to the motor to revolve at a slow proportional speed relative thereto once in a certain time period, electric connections to said motor, other connections leading outwardly to dispense current, an escapement driven by said motor adapted to i receive and discharge a starting means capable of forming a circuit between said connections and to said motor whereby the motor and meter are initially actuated only and the starting means discharged, and resilient means to normally draw said escapement into a position receptive of the starting means. Y

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

GEQRGE J. ZISCH. 

